Dylan Bettencourt
The South African Football Association (Safa) has given permanent bans to three Limpopo teams after they were found guilty of match-fixing.
In one of the strangest games of football ever played, Matiyasi FC won their match 59-1 when they needed to win their final game by a margin of 18 goals in order to gain promotion to the ABC Motsepe League.
Their opponents, Nsami Might Birds, scored 41 own goals.
To add to the circus, a player who was recorded to have received a red card in the first half was also recorded as scoring an own goal in the second half.
Safa was called to investigate the fixture for match-fixing when they found further evidence of corruption in Limpopo.
Matiyasi’s rivals, Shivulani Dangerous Tigers, who were also up for promotion, won their game 33-1 against Kotoko Happy Boys. Seven own goals were scored during the encounter.
Safa’s Mopani region, led by Vincent Ramphago, NEC member and head of competitions in Limpopo, called all four clubs to a DC hearing on 25 May in Giyani.
They were all charged and found guilty of contravening Safa rules.
Along with Matiyasi, Nsami Mighty Birds, Shivulani Dangerous Tigers and Kototo Happy Boys were also banned according to FarPost.
The officials from all four clubs have been handed five-year bans.
Earlier this year two teams from Ghana were relegated two divisions after being found guilty of match-fixing.
A defender scored two own goals to take the scoreline to 7-1, sabotaging the prearranged 5-0 scoreline.
Both teams and players involved were handed severe punishment by the Ghana Football Association.
Image source: @MatiyasiFC
